Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-07-13

building u ,9g1. IS
fuei funu. @,vta "
Ground improvement fund, forest
trees aud concrete walk ............ 63a %
In all a shortage of..................s5,47I IS
tn above amounts are estimates made by
competent men as to the cost Of he improve
menls and is the only thing we hava to b SO
estlmitss on. Colby or trustees have failed
to furnish an estimate Of the cost of tho Sow
eral improvements. The estimates made Of
the Improvement show that there ought 70
have been money left in the several improve
meat funds instead Of, as Colby says, an over
draft in several funds amounting to si,i.6a, as
per Cobby's statement, exhibit q.
Territorial Auditor Caldwell paid III vouch-
ers drawn in favor OF A T. COLBY, as most of
them were, upon tho funds before mentioned
and q. KID them. The law makes it the du,y
Of the steward to di5Lufse the employer
funds and buy oil supplies for the institution,
and IN no case are any of these vouchers sup
pcs d 10 reach the secretary OF tue board.
This law max $ il the duty Of the supefin-
tendent and the president OF the board OF t-as-
tees to check mp aud certify 10 the CORRECTNESS
Of the stewards monthly statements, and tie
auditor has no authority wha to pay
vouchers that are not certified in this way.
| And yet Auditor Caldwell in his deal ngs with
Mr.. Colby during the past two years has seen
tit to do away with steward and superintendent
aud 10 reroynize Colby alone In these several
capacities, thus giving the officers no oppor-
tnnity whatever 10 have any check upon the
money expended from these several funds.
IN steward and superintendent being APP
toiative officers by the trustees arc not 10
blame for this manner aud way OF doing bust
ness so much as Auditor Caldwell. Tn 3 mat
ter being taken outof their hands without any
warrant of law or authority by tho trustees,
Ca dwell is the man who should have checked
aud refused to recognize the manner and way
of doing business,
The II ustees who acted with Mr.. Colby in
tn $ 4 matter try to cvadc, with very poor grace,
their responsibility. When they have gone 50
far out of their way as to take upon them
selves tho duties and responsibilities 81 stew
ard and superintendent Of the institution they
shou d have had or kept some TRACK OF the
money that was PASSING through their hands,
aud WHOM they now attempt to ray that they
know nothing whatever of the matter, as come
OF hem do, knew nothing OF the estimates
that were being made or of how this money
was being expended, they place themselves on
record as being totally incompetent to fill tho
responsible position which they hold AZ trus-
tees of this institution. They elected Mr..
Colby superintendent of construction, and by
their act appointed him trea surer OF the funds
over Which they had assumed control.
MIR. Colby, during the two years he ac'ed as
49, Ftt'hD ~ " " StbHsV3St " ittptA
portion OF his time in sup rintendiug the con-
struition and building OF Il chicken house, ice
house, coal house, completing an attic and u few
other small improvements.
Daring his term rs trustee no was paid ont
OF the general fund OF tho territory for ouch
services the sum of 81 SIS 30, being an average
OF about 80 for every working day during the
two years that he served on tire board; and
yet IN his testimony he admits that during the
time he had an interest in q general store,
Ia az ri yft. ltn t..,n u.aI nNt,,f,A.. y@ Il ,uul
doing other building and contracting besides
That at the institution, and was engaged in
Other and divers enterprises. And yet lie has
found something to do during almost every
day of his entire term, as would appear from
tho amount of money that has been paid for
his services. The members of the Old board
were 50 well satisfied with the services of
Colby that they elected him in April, 1881. to
ihe position of superintendent of construction
and was anxious to have him again assume
the management aud control of the expsndi-
ture OF the money appropriated for new i'm
provemcnts.
Mr.. Colby in his examination has no def
mite idea as to the several costs of the i'm
provcments made by him du ing his term as
trustee, except those which, on the second day
of his examination, he tried to explain had
been buiit ont of the fuel fund and others.
Included in those improvements was the ice
house. He knew to a cent the exact cost CT
that building, and claimed that it hid been
built ont of money appropriated d. to buy fuel for
the institution, and yetinhis vouchers on file in
tlis Office of the territorial auditor drawn on the
fund for building buildings during the time
he was making these improvements, he speci-
fed that it was for work done on ice house,
root house and hen house. And durlng the
months of June, July and August, 1886, for
these purposes he drew out oil this fund ST.
TTaS5 The addition to barn was built on con-
tract for 81 ,6l5, as would appear from secrc-
tary's MINUTES, and also from the vouchers on
file in the territorial auditors office, by Lang
felt ard Baker. From the above vouchers it
would seem that Mr.. Cobby's memory is again
at fault when he attempts to say, as he did in
his ~exnm'nltion, that the money for the ice
House did not come out of this fund, but WAS
taken from outside funds in his hands.
All of the business transacted by the trus-
tees in disbursing tho several funds of which
they took control was done in such an unsat-
isfactory manner that it is impossible TO tell
whore or how, or in what amounts tho money
was expended.
From the estimates that We are able TO make
from the improvement of ground fund, from
the testimony taken, Mr.. Colby did not dis
burse more than eighteen or nineteen hua-
dred dollars in making the improvements that
he made ont of this fund, and tler3 would
have been plenty of money in that fund to
have paid for the fountain and building the
concrcts pavement as claimed in his report of
November 30. 1883 The eoncrt to walk,
amounting to 5000, was paid for out OF the
employees fund, and an overdraft of 500 was
paid for trees, as appears from the vouchers
drawn by Mr.. Colby.
Thus, taking their last biennial report as
correct, aud it is the only thing that the mem,
bers of the board claim to have given partic-
ular attention, there is a shortage in this fund
amounting to $3.50 o. On the iusl fund Colby
doesn't deny there is an ovdrdraft of 81, 9Jago
On The other funds out of which the other
several improvements were made b. the trus-
tees or by Colby in person, careful estimates
show that something like sl,9Uought to have
been saved in making the improvements.
Making in all a shortage ont of the various
funds that passed through the trustees hands
q d heretofore stated of s5,41l.53.
In making this report we have seen fit to
base our opinion upon the report made by the
consistent. This they all claim to have givon
personal attention to and supposed it to be
correcr, and about all other matters in detail
they claim TO know very little, if anything.
From the careful estimates made and from
all the testimony taken, it il apparent that
everything should have been accomplished as
detailed and stated i'll that report, and as
shown by competent builders and contractors
the sun of 81, 9-1. IS ought to have been savet
out Of the money expended in repairs and
building.
We herewith submit as q part Of this report
the testimony taken at the examination.
All OF which is respectfully submitted.
c. N. HARRIS,
Public Examiner.
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT.
ABERDEEN, Oak, June rs, 1873:
Coy. l. X. Church, Bismarck, Oak.
DEAR SIR: l have The pleasure Of herewith
submitting to you the reports of tho experts
nnptnya1 Inv na Ia On tvp1a aud yprITV in do